In a surprise move
that is sure to angry some entertainment news outlets, HBO has announced that
they will not be sending advance screeners of the upcoming sixth season of Game
of Thrones for review purposes.
The decision it seems
was based on history. Every year, HBO sees the screeners for Game of Thrones
end up online for everyone to watch because someone somewhere decided to leak
the content well ahead of the new season premiere.
"We’re not
sending out press copies this year, anywhere in the world. There will be no
copies for review. It’s painful for Dan and David [when leaks happen],"
said programming president Michael Lombardo. "When you have press copies,
inevitably friends ask, ‘Can I see your copy?’ There are things that happen. We
talked about the upsides and downsides. Some of the press are fans who might be
disappointed, but they’ll understand."
I do, even though
some do not. This decision affects entertainment news outlets more than it actually
affects fans that for the most part were already onboard for the new season. With
HBO's decision, entertainment sites lose revenue from posting "exclusive"
reviews of content that hasn't aired, which is why some are angry and can't seem
to fathom the reason behind the decision.
Even for the popular
fantasy series, leaked content is a substantial financial blow, which is probably
why HBO has decided to forfeit the "free" advertising that comes with
advance reviews. Moreover, let us not forget that Game of Thrones is a show
that airs all around the world with millions spent in rights to air the show on
the table, so the consequences of lower ratings, i.e. less advertising revenue extends
far beyond the United States.
On the other hand
this could all be a marketing ploy to grow (if that is even possible)
anticipation for the upcoming season.
Source - EW
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